Flood-fence.



W.`KEMPER.

FLOOD FENCE. APPLIOATIQN FILED mm, 1910.

965,1 1 1 Patented July 19` 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM: KEMPER, OF DEXTER, IOWA.

FLOOD-FENCE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM KEMPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dexter', in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful F lood-Fence, of which the following is a specification. i

The object of my invention is to provide a fence that may be readily and easily constructed with materials that may be easily obtained in any locality, said fence being designed to be used principally on low lands that are likely to be flooded and said fence being so arranged that during a flood and when the water is flowing over the land on which the fence is placed, and in the event that the drift carried by the water should become lodged against the fence and form a dam, then the pressure of the water against the drift will result in simply forcing the fence to a horizontal position so that the current of water will remove the drift from the fence and so that after the water has receded the operator may readily and easily place the fence in an upright position and there firmly secure it to thereby avoid injury to the fence and breakage of the fence wires and posts such as is usually occasioned in connection with permanent fences on lands that are likely to be flooded.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more full-y set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a section of fence embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a top or plan view of a portion of a. flood fence embodying my invention with the pivoted portion of the fence shown in a horizontal position. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged, detail view partly in section illustrating the means for holding the pivoted fence section in an upright position. The dotted lines show the position of the pivoted felice tilted from a vertical line, and

' Fig. L shows a detail view of the loop and breakable pin for holding the fence in an upright position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a stationary fence of ordinary construction comprising posts and longitudinal wires.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 19,`191() Application led February 8, 1910.

Serial No. 542,784.

My improved felice is intended to be used in connection with such permanent fences on portions of the land which are likely to become flooded. Y

My improved fiood fence comprises ya number of stationary posts 11 placed in the ground in locations where the ground is likely to be flooded. Said posts are made to project only a short distance above the surface of the ground and are preferably beveled at 12 at their upper ends. Connected with each of the posts 11 is a hinge member 13. A post section 14- is provided for each of the posts 11 and fixed to its lower end are the plates 15 designed to receive a pin 16 which is also extended through the hinge member 13 to thereby pivotally support the post sections let on the post sections 11.

For each of the posts, I have provided a metal loop 17 designed to pass around the front and sides of' the post member 11 and along the sides of the post member 111, said loop being provided with openings in its ends. A breakable pin 18 is extended through the ends of the loop 17 and is designed to pass in the rear of the post member 14 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. A series of fence wires 19 is provided for the post members 14 and is secured to them in the ordinary way. In order to keep said fence wires tightly stretched both when the fence is in an upright position and when it is in a reclining position, I have provided for each of the end post sections 14 a guy wire 20 attached at one end to the adjacent end post member 14 and pivotally connected at its other end to a post 21 set into the ground at a point spaced apart from the outer edge of the post member 111 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In practical use, the post members 14 may be connected to the post members 11 by means of the hinge members 13, 15, and 16 and the post member 14 may be firmly held in an upright position by means of the loop 17 and the breakable pin 18, the latter being preferably made of wood. By having the upper end of the post member 11 beveled at 12, the loop 17 may easily be placed over it. Any number of the post members 1-1- may be erected along the line of a fence at the point where flood water is likely to run over the ground. Then the guy wires 2O may be applied inthe manner shown and the fence wires 19 may be connected tothe posts in the ordinary manner. Said guy wires will keep the fence wires tightly stretched and the fence will serve theordinary purpose so long as the land on which it is placed is not iooded. Assuming that the operator anticipates a iiood he may, if he desires, elevate the ends of the loops 17 to a point above the post members 11 and permit the fence to swing to a horizontal position and rest upon the ground so that the water may flow over it 'without injury to the fence. If, however, the operator does not have sufficient warning of an approaching flood, then when the water rises over the land on which the fence is placed, the drift will become entangled in the fence wires and thus form a dam, and the pressure of the waterr against it will be suiicient to break the pins 18, whereupon the fence will swing to a horizontal position and the water will then carry 0E the drift that has been lodged on the fence wires, and after the water has receded, the operator need only replace the fence in its upright position and apply new pins 18.

I claim as my invention:

An improved ood`fence, comprising a series of stationary posts7 a hinge member liXed to the rear side of each post, a number of movable fence posts having their lower ends overlapping the rear sides of the stationary posts, hinge members attached to the lower ends of the movable posts and con nected with the hinge members on the stationary posts, fence wires connected to the said movable posts, and a supporting device for each movable post, comprising a metallic loop having openings in its ends and being designed to pass around one of the station ary posts and one of the adjacent movable posts, and a breakable pin extended through said openings at the rear of the movable post, said parts being so arranged that the said loop may readily and easily be moved upwardly above the end of the stationary post to permit the movable posts to swing to substantially horizontal positions without breaking the said pins or removing them from the loop, for the purposes stated.

Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 4, 1910.

WILLIAM KEMPER.

litnesses M. B. GoLDIzEN, M. WALLACE. 

